The Girl in the Green Dress
by Fanwrite
Summary: During the bombing of Hamburg in 1943, Germany is hit by a bomb. The impact brings back memories of a girl in a green dress.


The bombing had gone on for seven days and nights now. Hamburg was almost completely destroyed now, and many thousands dead. However there were still some alive, and Germany knew he had to protect them. They were his people; he felt everything they felt. He had managed to get a few people to safety before the British bombs began to fall again.

The rest of the week he had gone unharmed by the bombs. Today was different. A bomb fell from the sky, exploding a few metres away from him. He flew, blown away by the force, crashing into rubble left from a fallen building. Had he not been a country, that would have killed him. He lay there, looking up at the grey sky, with British bombers flying overhead, a terrible ache pulsing in his temple, one of his arms broken. But even through the pain, he was mesmerised by one thought. No, not a thought. A memory. A memory from a past he didn't remember, of a small brown haired girl in a green maid dress, holding a bouquet of beautiful flowers as pretty as her, her smile radiant.

Finally it was all over. The British bombers were gone, the whole town of Hamburg destroyed. Germany sat up, wincing as his whole body protested against the movement. He definitely had a few broken bones, maybe a rib or two, his forehead was bleeding and his whole body ached but he had gotten off pretty lightly.

"Do you need a hand?" He turned his head to see Austria offering him his gloved hand. He took it gratefully, heaving himself up onto unsteady legs.

"Will you be alright to stand?" Austria asked uncertainly, "You took quite a harsh beating by that bomb." He scanned the area for a second before adding, "Hamburg is not looking too great either."

"I'll be fine, but I will need help healing my bones." His thoughts drifted to the girl in green once more. "And I will need to ask you something."

"You can do that at home when we get your arm sorted out. Now come, Hungary can get your wounds sorted out."

After Hungary had helped tend to his wounds, with slight "help" from Prussia, Germany and Austria sat in the main room, Austria reading a book he had taken from one of the bookshelves. Prussia loitered in the back, worried about his younger brother's well-being. After a few moments of silence, the aristocratic male asked with a pitch of curiosity in his voice,

"What was it that you wanted to ask me Germany?"

Germany felt both pairs of eyes in the room on him, one violet, one crimson. He waited a moment before murmuring his reply.

"Back there, when the bomb hit me, I had a... a flashback of sorts. And in it, I saw someone."

"Who?" Prussia asked, leaning over the back of the chair his brother was sat in. Germany shook his head, his sky blue eyes focused on his clenched fist on his thigh.

"A girl. She was very young – a child with brown hair and bright smile in a green dress." He felt his brother stiffen beside him and saw out of the corner of his peripheral vision how Austria looked up, his eyes wide, mouth gaping slightly. "Who is she?"

Austria put his book down on the coffee table next to his armchair, biting his lip. He looked to the spot behind Germany where Prussia was, his face hidden in his hands.

"How is it possible for him to know about that child?" Austria asked, his question an arrow aimed at the albino who looked up at that moment, his eyes like those of a deer in the headlights.

"You know when Holy Rome went to fight France?"

"Yes, I remember that. He never came back. He died."

"No, he didn't." Prussia's eyes were level with Austria's, his face in a rare, serious expression. "Holy Rome never died. Almost. But I found him. I rescued him, not anyone else, but the awesome me. He's safe. But he doesn't remember anything of the past. My little brother is The Holy Roman Empire."

Germany looked back at him in shock. "I am who?"

"You were the Holy Roman Empire. Defeated by France, unified as Germany." He looked at Austria who wore an astounded expression. "This is the truth that I have hidden for so many years to keep my little brother safe."

"So I am the Holy Roman Empire. But what does this have to do with the girl in the green dress. Who is she?"

Prussia and Austria's eyes connected, a silent conversation in their gazes. Taking a shaky breath, Austria answered, his voice wavering.

"A long time ago, back when you were the Holy Roman Empire, I lived in your house with Hungary and a another country who loved you and who you loved. You gave that country your promise to come back." He paused then, making Germany anxious about what was coming next. "The little girl you described Germany, loved you with all her heart, but when we found out that you where supposedly dead...Her fragile heart shattered...The little girl was Italy and I think it's time you go to mend his broken heart."

Thoughts raced around Germany's head, impossible to control. The little girl was Italy, his best, and only, true friend. He was transfixed. Unable to move. Just think. Austria and Prussia sent him worried gazes.

Then, without warning, Germany stood up, his face grim. "I need to tell him."

"You're injured, West," Prussia said, stepping in front of him, "You're not going anywhere."

"He deserves to know just like I deserved to know."

Prussia furrowed his brows, his lips in a tight line. As he watched his brother leave through the arched door, he whispered,

"I did it to protect you, West. Because I love you."

He closed the door behind him, his heart racing. No one had ever thought of telling him any of this. He shook his head in disbelief, before making his way to his room to phone the Italian.

After the Italian agreed to meet him, curious about what the German had to confess, he made his way to wait for him, slowly, unsurely. What would he say? And more importantly would he be able to say it? He swallowed, anxious.

"Germany!" He heard a heavily accented, cheerful voice, before looking up and seeing the Italian nation running up to him, waving as he ran.

"Ciao, Germany," he cooed, smiling brightly. Germany greeted him, trying to sound as calm as he could in this situation.

"What did you want to talk to me about Germany?" Italy said joyously, not sensing the mood of the German.

Germany twiddled his thumbs nervously and took a deep breath before saying, "I'm not sure this is going to be something you will be happy to hear, Italy."

The Italian's face fell slightly, suddenly more aware. His whole posture conveyed a great sense of anticipation. Germany's hands shook as he spoke, looking straight at Italy.

"I'm..." he gulped. The words stuck in his throat.

"You're...?"

Germany took another long breath, straightening up. "I'm the Holy Roman Empire."

Germany wished he didn't have to have done that. Didn't have to have said those words. Italy's eyes were wide with fear and confusion and many other emotions that Germany couldn't quite identify. Tears swelled in the corners of Italy's umber eyes. He shook his head, taking a step back, his eyes fixed on Germany's face.

"This isn't a funny joke Germany," he whimpered.

"It isn't a joke, Italy."

He bit his bottom lip as the tears began to roll down his cheeks. He fell onto his knees, hands hiding his tear stained face. He began to rant quietly to himself in Italian that Germany couldn't understand. He reached out to touch the sobbing Italian's shoulder, but it was brushed away.

"You promised," he cried, "That you'd come back."

Germany looked at the soil beneath them. "I'm sorry, Italy. I didn't know. Forgive me. If I had known sooner, I'd-"

His sentence was cut short when a weeping Italian wrapped his arms tightly around his back, burying his face in the German's chest. He enveloped the Mediterranean nation in a tight embrace that both of them needed.

* * *

September 1943.

"Germany," Austria came in, holding an envelope in his hand. Germany looked up at him from his place at his desk.

"What is it, Austria?"

"This is a letter from the boss," he raised the letter, "You need to read it." He placed it flat on Germany's desk, crossing his arms and stepping back. Germany opened the envelope and took out the parchment. He scanned the page, before looking up at Austria in shock.

"What does it say?"

"Italy has become a member of the Allied Forces."


End file.
